The text discusses the significance of infrastructures and their impact on various aspects of society. It highlights the destructive consequences of infrastructure degradation, such as the recent flash flood in the Indian Himalayas caused by a broken glacier. The text also explores the role of infrastructure in perpetuating social inequality and the detrimental effects of climate change on infrastructure. It mentions historical examples of infrastructure construction and its influence on colonization and revolutionary movements. Additionally, the text argues for a shift towards more sustainable and equitable approaches to infrastructure planning and development.
| Signal | Change | 10y horizon | Driving force |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flash flood destroys hydroelectric dam | Destruction of infrastructures | Improved infrastructure safety measures | Climate change and melting glaciers |
| Infrastructure can be deadly in age of melting glaciers | Need for more resilient infrastructures | Improved infrastructure resilience and safety | Climate change and melting glaciers |
| New coal mine licenses issued while old oil rigs are being mothballed | Shift in energy sources | Increased focus on renewable energy | Economic growth and political motivations |
| Disintegrating bridges result in deaths | Need for safer infrastructure | Improved bridge maintenance and safety standards | Aging infrastructure and lack of maintenance |
| Blackouts and rationed electricity as a feature of life | Need for reliable energy sources | Improved energy infrastructure and distribution | Privatization of utilities and political factors |
| Massive dams displace millions and threaten water wars | Need for sustainable water management | Improved water management and conflict resolution | Economic development and geopolitical factors |
| Infrastructure construction has both positive and negative effects | Need for sustainable and equitable infrastructure | More sustainable and equitable infrastructure development | Economic growth and political motivations |
| Infrastructure should incorporate degrowth and ecological wellbeing | Shift in infrastructure ideology | Infrastructure designed for sustainability and ecological wellbeing | Desire for a more sustainable and equitable society |
| Infrastructures should be redistributive and participatory | Shift towards equitable infrastructure | Infrastructure designed to benefit all stakeholders | Desire for a more equitable society |
| Infrastructures should be designed with consideration for local contexts and concerns | Shift towards localized infrastructure planning | Infrastructure that is more context-specific and inclusive | Desire for infrastructure that meets local needs |
| Infrastructural inequalities arise from social prejudice and sectarianism | Need for equal distribution of infrastructure benefits | Infrastructure that benefits all populations equally | Social prejudice and sectarianism |
| Financial and technological innovations exacerbate infrastructural inequalities | Need for equitable access to technology and finance | More regulated and inclusive financial and technological infrastructure | Lack of regulation and unequal access to resources |
| Indigenous groups fight against oppressive infrastructures | Resistance against oppressive infrastructure | Increased activism and resistance against harmful infrastructures | Desire for autonomy and protection of indigenous rights |
| Infrastructure planning must be more open, egalitarian, and environmentally militant | Shift towards inclusive and environmentally-conscious planning | Infrastructure planning that prioritizes public and environmental interests | Desire for sustainable and equitable infrastructure |